Re: What's your horses rank in the herd?

My little herd have an order to things Tommy is most definately in charge, Buttons next (he's the only one allowed to share tommys hay. Then Rhodri and little Star spend most of the time at war over who gets to be 3 out of 4

Re: What's your horses rank in the herd?

Danser is the leader, no one even tries to challange her as she just has to look at them to put them back in their place. Next is Charlie, then Wish then bottom of the herd is Sky, she is just so meek and mild and wants to be everyones friend. I can't believe how quickly Danser has accepted her into the herd.

. .A horse is a thing of such beauty. . .none will tire of looking at him as long as he displays himself in his splendor.
~Xenophon
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Re: What's your horses rank in the herd?

Re: What's your horses rank in the herd?

According to my OH, the pecking order in our house is as follows:- Alistair (OH), Blair, Sammy, Zara, and then me! Horse wise Blair is definitely in charge and they sort of share responsibility for Zara. When she arrived she was only 4 months old and Sammy went all gooey with her, he just kept looking at her with big eyes and then looking at us as though to say "is that for me, oh thank you". I was initially nervous of turning her out with any of them so she went out just with Sammy at first and he really looked after her - if she wandered off from his side he went looking for her and told her off, he was like a surrogate mum! A few days later I put Blair in with them and he was also besotted, Sammy was looking after her and Blair was playing with her as mentally they're about the same age, so she loves them both but she does still do what they tell her. Sometimes though I see her trying to exert a bit of influence but she's always put right back in her place, nicely though.

Re: What's your horses rank in the herd?

Ever since we've had her Bracken has been herd leader, with whatever other horses have been in the field, but after we lost Grouse, and Monty arrived he took over as the boss.

Then Fate and Captain came last November and there was a bit of a shake up, but Monty is still boss, then Fate, Captain and Bracken now at the bottom - she's 22 at least, all the others are teenagers and I think she's too old to assert herself anymore.

Captain bosses her most, but then he's only just above her, but Monty will stick up for her and she's the one he allows to graze near him.

The outside of a horse is good for the inside of a man - Winston Churchill

Re: What's your horses rank in the herd?

Interesting Topic Char.

Bootz first went in with the herd in January after his gelding op. There are currently 10 in the field 2 mares and the rest geldings. I thought he would be an outsider but quickly settled in without any skirmishes, lots of playing tho being just two at the time. We thought he was quite low down the pecking order until recently when the herd leader ( a lovely Fjord mare called Daphne) came into season usually she is inseperable from one of the other geldings but shunned him and was following Bootz round ad stood shoutig for him when I took him out of the field.

There were also 3 new horses added to the herd this week, the first day Bootz was chasing them away from the rest of the herd and when i took him out of the field another took over what he was doing, It would appear he is higher up the rankings than we thought.

Re: What's your horses rank in the herd?

Now with Sabrina she is boss mare and sticks very closely to her boyfriend, even sharing the same piece of hayledge from either end, quite funny to watch, mind you the herd at the moment is only 3 which includes another mare, should be fireworks when some more horses come on the yard as at the moment 7 stables free.

Re: What's your horses rank in the herd?

Re: What's your horses rank in the herd?

When I use to keep them at a private yard and there was only the two of them Red (my chestnut) was always boss especially if he thought I had a packet of mints on me but it never fased my other horses, (indie) she would just stand quietly and watch him make a fool of himself lol. Now we have moved to a farm there are 8 horses, Red is third in the ranking as he is still quite young but likes to think he is the boss! Indie is last but one, but nothing bothers her lol x

~Beauty is in the eye of the beholder~
~Never judge a horse by its past,always look at what it can do for you in the future~

Re: What's your horses rank in the herd?

my 2 are in a mixed herd of 10, difficult to tell exact possition! my mare used to always be top mare when at my old place with a few other mares, but now she isnt. have one very dominant mare, one very passive mare and mine who is a flirt who all the boys like, but 3 of them are protective of her, wont let the new gelding near! my boy likes both the mares, but isnt top dog, only when it comes to food and then he can chase anyone off! so think they are both in the middle, as not the most dominant or the weakest. the herd has one outsider who is a bit of a loner, but they are a pretty close nit bunch.

recently pigs have moved in just across the river from our field, apparently the dominant mare spotted them and went and bought one horse at a time to see them before chasing them off!

i like watching them interact, but also interesting how they are with me- i can get near all the horses, but my 2 will be over protective of me and will sometimes get jelous and chase the others off! mostly because they know im there dinner giver and dont want to share! i can also feed mine in the field and if im there the more dominant horses wont get near as they know i wont let them, the top mare and gelding will even graze right near by